Optimal Starting Rotations for MLB Contenders to Surge Down the Stretch

With less than a month to go in the MLB season, there's still a lot to be decided.

Nearly half of the teams in baseball are still reasonably in the playoff hunt, although some have more work to do than others.

Teams like the Braves, Tigers, Dodgers and Red Sox can relax a little as the month goes on. Others know that bad play could result in no playoffs or one of the wild card spots. As we saw last year, that's the last thing any team wants.

For me, for teams to get to where they want to be, it starts with pitching.

With that in mind, here's a look at the optimal starting rotations for contenders who want to surge down the stretch.

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